DDX
DDX is a global multi-city conference series organized by FastForward Global GmbH, serving UX, product design, and innovation leaders across 7+ cities. Founded in 2019 as a podcast, it now hosts 2,000+ annual attendees with sold-out events, supplemented by sponsorships and a Startup World Cup partnership.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersMunich, Germany
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What DDX does
DDX (Digital Innovation & UX Conference) is a global multi-city conference series focused on UX, product design, digital innovation, and AI, organized by FastForward Global GmbH, a German private limited company headquartered in Munich with a registered office in Düren. Founded in 2019 as the Designdrives podcast, DDX has grown into a multi-format event brand running city editions across Munich, Dubai, Tokyo, San Diego, New York, Miami, and London, with events scheduled through 2027. The company serves design leaders, product managers, UX/UI designers, innovation directors, and founders, drawing 2,000+ attendees annually with all past events achieving 100% ticket sell-out.
The core product is the DDX Conference Series, supplemented by the Designdrives podcast (80+ episodes since 2019), the DDX Awards program (Talents, Startups, Agencies), DDX Roundtables, pre-event workshops, a Volunteer Program, and a regional Startup World Cup partnership with Pegasus Tech Ventures offering a $1M grand prize pathway. The technology stack is conventional and lightweight: a Squarespace-hosted website, Lu.ma and Eventbrite for ticketing, Stripe for payments, Google Workspace, Google Analytics, and Hotjar for site analytics, plus a WhatsApp community group for attendee networking. DDX operates with a lean team of 19 employees supported by volunteers and venue partners such as Microsoft Deutschland, Munich Urban Colab, MCBW, and UnternehmerTUM.
DDX generates revenue through ticket sales (early bird, standard, team, student tiers), tiered sponsorship and partnership packages (booths, speaking slots, talent recruitment, VIP dinners, side events), and the Startup World Cup partnership. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the website and Eventbrite, with enterprise sales handled by email. Marketing is content-driven, relying on the podcast, 10,000+ newsletter subscribers, LinkedIn, Instagram, and X, plus referrals from partner organizations including MCBW, Digital Product School, and Edenspiekermann.
DDX firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- DDX
- Legal name
- FastForward Global GmbH
- Website
- https://ddxconference.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- DDX is a global multi-city conference series organized by FastForward Global GmbH, serving UX, product design, and innovation leaders across 7+ cities. Founded in 2019 as a podcast, it now hosts 2,000+ annual attendees with sold-out events, supplemented by sponsorships and a Startup World Cup partnership.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
DDX industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conference and Event Services
- NAICS
- Convention and Trade Show Organizers (561920)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation (BPACANAH)
Keywords
Where DDX is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Munich
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
DDX business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Conference Tickets: Primary revenue stream from selling tickets to DDX conferences. Ticket types include early bird, standard, and team passes with group discounts. Average attendance of 300-700 participants per city event. All tickets are non-refundable with transfer options available.
- Sponsorship & Partnership Packages: DDX offers partner packages for brands seeking visibility and thought leadership within the UX, product, and innovation community. Sponsorship options include booths and brand experiences, speaking opportunities, pre-event lead campaigns, talent and recruitment packages, side events, VIP dinners, and meetups.
- Startup World Cup Competition: DDX hosts regional Startup World Cup competitions where selected startups pitch for a chance to qualify for the $1M prize at the global finals in San Francisco. Revenue is generated through partnership fees and the event's profile.
- Podcast & Content: The Designdrives podcast (80+ episodes) featuring interviews with global design and innovation leaders, functioning as a marketing channel that also builds brand authority and community engagement.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Early Bird Tickets - Limited discounted pricing |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Tickets - Regular admission |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Team Passes - Group discounts for organizations |
| Subscription | Pay-as-you-go | Student Tickets - Reduced pricing for educational access |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels10 records
DDX product offering
Product offeringCore offering
DDX is a global conference series focused on user experience (UX), product design, digital innovation, and AI. It organizes in-person events, workshops, roundtables, awards, and podcasts that convene UX designers, product managers, and innovation leaders. The events are produced by FastForward Global GmbH, a German private limited company headquartered in Munich with its registered office in Düren.
Product overview
DDX is a multi-city global conference series dedicated to UX, product design, digital innovation, and AI, consisting of city-specific editions (Munich, San Diego, Miami, Tokyo, London, New York, Dubai) plus associated products. The core offering is the DDX Conference Series, supplemented by the Designdrives Podcast (80+ episodes), DDX Awards program (Talents, Startups, Agencies), Startup World Cup partnership ($1M pitch competition), DDX Roundtables, Insights/Research content, Volunteer Program, and Pre-Events/Workshops hosted by partners like Figma and iF Academy. The portfolio also includes a Corporate Partnership Program for sponsors seeking brand visibility with the innovation community.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DDX Global Conference Series Annual multi-day international conference bringing together UX, product design, digital innovation, and AI professionals for keynotes, breakout sessions, and networking. Targeted at design and product leaders across industries.
- DDX Awards Award program recognizing outstanding work and individuals in UX, product design, and digital innovation. Targeted at design teams, agencies, and product organizations.
- DDX Workshops and Roundtables Curated hands-on workshops and intimate roundtable discussions for design and product leaders, typically held adjacent to the main conference program.
- DDX Podcast Podcast featuring interviews and discussions with UX, product design, and innovation leaders. Targeted at the broader design and product community.
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 2000 participants annually across all DDX events
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use DDX
Customer profileNamed customers17 records
Segments8 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
DDX technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
DDX partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
22 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Dubai Silicon OasiscoreDubai Silicon Oasis is a 15-minute city for business and sustainable living, dedicated to fostering Knowledge & Innovation. Regional partner for DDX Dubai events and sponsor of DDX Awards.
- ADPlistminorGlobal community on a mission to democratize mentorship for all. Partnership provides mentorship connections and community building for DDX attendees.
- FreshFormminorFreshForm transforms CX to drive results with strategists, designers, and technologists. Global partner for DDX events.
- DNDA (Design x Dignity x Ai)minorInspired by Don Norman, a design pioneer, DNDA promotes Humanity-Centered Design (HCD+) globally. Global partner for DDX.
- EdenspiekermannminorIndependent global design consultancy that unlocks business opportunities through design and technology. Global partner for DDX.
- Footprint IntelligencecoreAI-based intelligent sustainability platform used by DDX to calculate carbon footprint based on official carbon standards. Partnership educates attendees on mobility emissions and supports DDX's sustainability mission.
- Microsoft Deutschland GmbHcoreVenue host for DDX Munich 2026 at Walter-Gropius-Straße 5, 80807 München. Microsoft provides the conference venue and collaborates on event programming.
- Munich Urban ColabcoreHub for startups and new ideas in Munich. Venue partner for DDX Munich 2024 at Freddie-Mercury-Straße 5, 80797 Munich.
- Digital Product Schoolcore3-month program by UnternehmerTUM providing education in interaction design, product strategy, software engineering. Munich partner for DDX events and co-curator of conference content.
- UnternehmerTUMcoreEurope's top startup hub that launches 50+ high-growth tech startups annually. Munich partner for DDX, providing venue and content collaboration.
- Munich Creative Business Week (MCBW)coreGermany's largest design festival and vital partner/supporter of DDX. DDX is part of MCBW which runs May 11-19 annually, positioning DDX within Germany's premier design event.
- Bayern DesignminorBavaria's center for design knowledge and collaboration. Munich partner supporting DDX events.
- CobecoreAgency specializing in UI/UX Design and App & Web Development. Munich partner hosting pre-events and providing design expertise for DDX Munich.
- TUM Venture LabsminorDrive innovation and support startup development. Munich partner for DDX events.
- ManyoneminorSpecializes in strategy-led design and innovation. Munich partner for DDX.
- Experience HausminorLondon partner offering courses and workshops to prepare individuals and teams for the future workforce.
- San Diego Design WeekcoreWorld Design Capital's Signature Event, fostering human-centered design. San Diego partner for DDX.
- HCD UAEminorHCD UAE meetup brings designers together to discuss best practices and emerging techniques. Dubai partner for DDX.
- FigmaminorDesign tool provider hosting workshops at DDX Munich including 'The Human Hand Behind the Machine: You Are the Prompt' workshop.
- iF DESIGN ACADEMYminorDesign education organization hosting 'Making the Case for Design' workshop at DDX Munich with Doug Powell.
- SnowflakeminorData cloud company sponsoring DDX Munich after-party and hosting AI productivity table talk.
- Red Bull MunichminorBeverage brand co-sponsoring DDX Munich after-party with open bar and networking.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
DDX competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Leading Design: London-based conference and community for design leaders and heads of design. DDX explicitly benchmarks against Leading Design, and the two target the identical Design Leaders & Heads of Design persona.
- Awwwards Conferences: Awwwards runs design-focused conferences in multiple cities (Amsterdam, LA, NYC, etc.) aimed at designers and digital creators. Operates a similar premium, content-driven, multi-city model with sold-out events.
- Smashing Conference: Smashing runs multi-city conferences for designers and front-end developers across Europe and North America. Directly comparable on format (multi-city, designer-focused, sponsor-supported) and tier of audience.
- UXDX: UXDX runs multi-city conferences for product, design, and development leaders. It is the most directly comparable independent conference series to DDX in terms of audience (product/UX leaders), event format, and global multi-city footprint.
- Web Directions: Long-running web design and product conference series (Web Directions Summit, Web Directions Code) focused on UX, design, and engineering leaders in Australia and globally. Highly comparable audience and content scope to DDX.
- Config by Figma: Figma's annual Config conference targets the same UX/product designer audience as DDX, with a heavy emphasis on design tooling and workflows. It is a direct substitute for design team off-sites that DDX also serves.
Regional players
- Interaction Design Foundation: Online education and events platform serving UX and interaction designers globally. Closely adjacent to DDX's learning-and-community offering, though primarily digital rather than conference-led.
- Murugandi / CreativePro Week: Long-running creative-design conference for design professionals and creative leaders. Comparable audience segmentation (mid-to-senior designers) and ticket-based revenue model, though primarily North America-focused.
Broad incumbents
- Adobe MAX: Adobe's flagship creativity conference serves a much larger but overlapping audience of designers, product creators, and creative directors. Acts as a broad incumbent against which independent players like DDX compete for share of voice and sponsorship.
- Webflow Conf: Webflow's annual design and no-code conference targets product designers and builders using the Webflow platform. Overlaps with DDX's UX/product designer audience but operates within a single tool ecosystem.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
DDX social profiles
Digital presenceDDX financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
DDX leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
DDX funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
DDX M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about DDX
What does DDX do?
DDX is a global conference series focused on user experience (UX), product design, digital innovation, and AI. It organizes in-person events, workshops, roundtables, awards, and podcasts that convene UX designers, product managers, and innovation leaders. The events are produced by FastForward Global GmbH, a German private limited company headquartered in Munich with its registered office in Düren.
Is DDX a public or private company?
DDX is a private company. It is classified as unknown and is currently operating.
When was DDX founded?
DDX was founded in 2019. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is DDX based?
DDX is headquartered in Munich, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does DDX make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Conference Tickets are the primary driver. The others are sponsorship & Partnership Packages, startup World Cup Competition and podcast & Content.
Who are DDX's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Leading Design, Awwwards Conferences, Smashing Conference, UXDX, Web Directions and Config by Figma. Regional players are Interaction Design Foundation and Murugandi / CreativePro Week. Broad incumbents are Adobe MAX and Webflow Conf.
Does DDX have an API?
No public API is recorded for DDX.
What industry is DDX in?
DDX's product category is Conference and Event Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPACANAH, Learning Technology & LMS/LXP Implementation. Its NAICS code is 561920.